The Sievers family originated in what now is Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. In the 1840 Leipzig was within the Kingdom of Prussia and while the Napoleonic Wars had ended in 1815 there were many factors effecting Germany resulting in a

large scale movement of Germans / Prussians to other lands[i]. Two Sievers brothers arrived in New Zealand in the

1850’s and settled in the Wellington / Makara areas[ii].

Arthur Sievers was second generation New Zealand born Sievers’ the son of Mary Ellen (nee Kelly) and William Louis Sievers. Arthur was born in Kilbirnie, Wellington on 16th August 1891 the 13th child in the family of fifteen which

included 5 females and 10 males[iii].

Arthur was educated at the Marist Brothers, Thorndon before going beginning a career as a carpenter / joiner.[iv]

On 5th June 1915 Arthur married a young widow Mary Sophia Amelia Paris (nee Amey) Sophia had a young daughter

Lyla Amy (Amey - Ed) Paris (17th April 1911) Arthur and Sophie had their own child George Henry Sievers born on

14th February 1917. George was seven months old when Arthur entered Trentham Military Camp on 19th September

1917 with B Company, 33rd Reinforcements. 65459 Private Arthur Sievers’ military papers record that he was employed

as a joiner in the Post and Telegraph (P&T) Department and his next of kin Mrs Sophie Sievers, 22 Glenbervie Terrance, Wellington.

Mary Sophie Amelia Sievers c 1912

Gunner Arthur Sievers 1919

Private Sievers, probable because he had seven

years military training with the Garrison Artillery,

on 9th November 1917 was transferred to the

36th New Zealand Field Artillery (NZFA)

Reinforcements and on 14th January 1918 while

in the 37th Reinforcements NZFA became

Gunner Sievers. Following training Gunner Sievers

left New Zealand on 23rd March 1918 with the

38th NZFA Reinforcements.

On arrival in England the 38th Reinforcements were

sent on 21st June 1918 for more training at the Artillery

School, Ewshott. Following this training Gunner Sievers

was shipped to France on 11th September 1918 and was

attached to the Divisional Ammunition Column (DAC). Gunner Sievers’ brother George[v], also a Gunner with the NZFA,

was also with the DAC. The DAC was engaged in moving up equipment and ammunition to the guns on the front lines. Gunner Arthur Sievers remained with the DAC until the Armistice was signed on 11th November 1918 when he was detached to Trench Mortar (TM) Batteries.

It was while Gunner Sievers was with the TM Batteries that he was selected to receive one of the Christmas parcels from New Zealand. The parcels were packed by a variety of groups and the one that Gunner Arthur Sievers received had been packed by a young schoolgirl from the Terrace School, Wellington. The Christmas gifts usually contained a postcard so

that the soldier could write back to New Zealand and the person who packed the box. Gunner Arthur Sievers’ post card went back to his niece Edith, a pleasant surprise for both.

Front and Rear of the 1918 Christmas Pudding

It is possible that the Christmas Gift was opened in Germany rather than France as following the Armistice the

New Zealand Division had begun, on 28th November 1918, marching up through Belgium towards the British Zone

around Cologne, in the Rhineland Region. The occupation army was intended to ensure that Germany could not break

the Armistice before the formal peace treaty could be signed. The New Zealand Division entered Germany on the

19th December 1918 and was then transported by train to Cologne arriving on 20th December 1918. New Zealand

troops were billeted with local German families as well as occupying German Military Barracks.

Gunner Sievers and others were billeted with Mrs G Kuth,

30 Ehrenstrasse Cologne, Germany.

30 Ehrenstrasse second X to right of bridge

From late December 1918 men who had volunteered in

1914-15, who had skills required in New Zealand or were

married, started to be repatriated to New Zealand. When

it became that Germany was in no condition to resume

combat the repatriation was speeded up. On 25th March

1919 that last contingent of New Zealand troops left

Cologne.[vi]

Gunner Sievers left Cologne on 22nd February returning to England on leave and rather than being sent back to Germany Gunner Sievers at the end of his leave was posted to the Artillery School at Coldfield Sutton, Liverpool. It was while

Gunner Sievers was in Liverpool that he posed with his two brothers and a cousin:

Four Rough Diggers in Liverpool 1919

Left to Right

59271 Sergeant Patrick (Dick) Richard Kelly

NZ Signal Corp

65495 Gunner Arthur Sievers NZFA

50236 Gunner George Sievers NZFA

67262 Rifleman James (Jim) Sievers NZRB

Gunner Sievers left England via Southampton on 28th July 1919 arriving back in New Zealand

on 31st September 1919 and following leave was discharged from the NZEF on 18th October 1919 ‘On termination of period of engagement.’

Arthur returned to live with his wife and children in Wellington but soon moved out to Porirua as he was ‘not found at

22 Glenbervie Terrace, Wellington on 18th January 1921 and his medals were eventually signed for, in Porirua, on

5th April 1922.

Lyla Sievers, Arthur and Sophie's daughter is first registered at Porirua School in 1922 and her brother John in 1923

and the siblings born after the war, Mollie, June, Rex and Ken also attended the school.

Arthur was initially involved in farming as part of the Sievers Brothers

(Arthur, George and Richard) but by 1928 is listed as a carpenter and at that

stage had moved from the farm to the Old Main Road and later to a house that

Sophie and Arthur built at what is now 4 Arawhata Street, Porirua.

4 Awatea Street, Porirua c1940's

​

Mary Sophie Amelia Sievers died on 16th April 1960 and

Arthur Sievers on 12th December 1965 both are buried in the

old Porirua Cemetery.

Notes

Rosetta (Edith) Edith Sievers was the daughter of Arthur’s older brother William (Gus) Augustus Sievers. Edith is buried with her husband Lyell Rolston in the Sievers family plot in Porirua Cemetery close to the burial plot of her uncle Arthur Sievers.